“What is important is that at the end of the day, we have something that is rancour-free. What I can tell you is that we are working together because we are still part of one family. I believe at the end of the day, we will have a process that whoever emerges will be supported by all of us.”
Senate President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has called on the leadership of the party to conduct transparent primaries to pick its presidential standard bearer for the 2019 elections.
This is coming as the North Central youths of the main opposition party have endorsed Saraki for the next presidential election in 2019.
Saraki, who made the call yesterday shortly after submitting the Expression of Interest and nomination forms to run for the office of the president on the platform of the PDP also ruled out a consensus option, saying it is not an issue for the 12 aspirants.
The former Governor of Kwara State also noted that Nigerian youths want a president who in 2019 will address the challenge of unemployment, even as he urged the electorate not to make the mistake of electing a leader incapable of providing the answer to the national question.
He said: “I don’t think the consensus thing is an issue before us because we are trying to make ensure that there is internal democracy in the system and very credible primaries.
“What is important is that at the end of the day, we have something that is rancour-free. What I can tell you is that we are working together because we are still part of one family. I believe at the end of the day, we will have a process that whoever emerges will be supported by all of us.”
“For us to grow this country, to have the teeming youths who are unemployed and create opportunities for them, Nigerians have come to understand that to do this, you must know how to do it. You cannot give what you don’t have. You can only give what you have.
“And the teeming youths are saying it is time for them to put in place someone who has the energy, youthfulness, capacity, capability and the knowledge to drive them to the future. It is through this that we can secure the future. It is through this that on the continent of Africa and comity of nations, Nigeria will stand high yet again.”
He promised to unite the party by providing purposeful leadership that will make Nigerians proud of their country.
Saraki was accompanied to the PDP headquarters by his long-term political associate, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Director General, Saraki Presidential Campaign Council, Honourable Mohammed Wakil; former presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe; the lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye, among others
Meanwhile, the North Central youths of PDP have endorsed Saraki, for the next presidential election in 2019.
The chairman of the parliament of the PDP youth leaders of the zone, Stephen Onoji, who made this known yesterday in Lokoja, said Saraki had paid his dues and is fit to govern the country.
Apart from this, the youths said it was time the North Central zone of Nigeria is given to produce the president of the country several years after its independence.
He noted that the Senate president with his experience as two terms governor of Kwara State, Senate president and his leadership quality was capable of returning Nigeria to the path to greatness and bring hope to the people of the country.
According, to him, the country, was tired of “analogue president,” saying Nigeria needed a millennium-compliant leader that would freely interact with his colleagues and the people through technology.
He said, “The youths of the Northcentral and entire Nigeria are tired of gerontocracy as president, we need people with capacity, intellectual sagacity and other basic components of leadership, we need a millennium compliant president, this analogue leadership has set us back by 50 years, we have moved back to pre-independence.
